Ben Barker described finishing fourth in Bahrain as a great way to bring the curtain down on his maiden FIA World Endurance Championship campaign.

The 25-year-old Cambridge driver and his team-mates Adam Carroll and Mike Wainwright produced another solid weekend for Gulf Racing in the six-hour event.

They were firmly in contention for a spot on the podium, but Barker had to watch helplessly from the pit lane as Wainwright suffered a blowout which cost the #86 Porsche 911 RSR team a lot of time.

Despite seeing their challenge for third spot come unstuck, Barker was full of positivity about the season as a whole.

“It is remarkable to think that, despite completing around 19,000km of running, the #86 suffered no mechanical issues, which is a testament to the professionalism of the whole team,” he said.

“Our only retirement came as the result of someone else’s mistake, which led to a crash at Silverstone, but we have proved ourselves to be both resilient and capable, not just in bouncing back from that moment but over the course of the season as a whole.

“This small British privateer team has come a long way during the year and I’m proud of everyone.”

Barker’s racing commitments have now ended for this year, but he would love to get the opportunity to build on the experience he has gained.

“I am extremely grateful for my first season in WEC and I really wish for the opportunity to come back,” he said.

“Thanks to Gulf Racing and the support of my personal sponsors Montaplast, CARS, Sacred, Pellys RJP and Joe Macari, I have learned a lot and gained confidence in both my driving and car set-up, and I’m looking forward to the future.”